The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-10-07
Mr.. WILLARD EXPLAINS
SOME OF THE STATEMENTS ATTRI-
BUTED TO HIM AT THE BOARD
OF TRADE DENIED.
The Press Scored for its Omissions, but
Nary Praise for its LabOs.
A Sandy Letter Full of Genuine
Grit.

Editor Free Press; ...
am too busy to spend time writing
ANYTHING in selEdefense, still | am so
much misrepresented IN your Mondays
Daily am at least called on to speak OF
some things attributed to me, that
didn't sag in the Board of Trade meeting,
lest the effect be different from that in
tended. Your reporter did not intend
to misrepresent, but he should learn
short hand if he expects to correctly re-
port rapid talker. "0ld TromleY" who
lived here thirty years ago, had no OBJ
lection TO being accused of stealing saw
mill, for he did steal it, but he did
object to being accused of stealing the
mill dam. l confess that in an unguard-
ed moment, and when considerably |
stirred up by other matters, / did "slop |
over" little on the local newspaper |
question, but l did not use any "slush." |
That Is an epithet / suppose your report |
or thought applicable to some remarks |
of mine, to the effect that the informa-
ton that Miss Lizzie Titmouse, of Good
Hollow, is visiting Miss Jennie McFlni-
gan, or John Schwartz is patching up his
sidewalk" is not so we'll calculated to in
fluence capitalists and manufact-
urers, through whose coming alone
we can hope for town hereto locate
in Mankato, as knowledge of the fact
chiefly TO be gained through local news
papers, that We have and are securing
superior railroad facilities, and that our
manufactures are spreading themselves,
and that they, and ali that will come,
can do so better at Mankato than any
where else.
When | said ''the whole kit of them
were not equal to one live paper" l
SOmelrhGt exaggerated the matter for a
torn Of this size, but no one outside OF the
press gang" will insist that the breadth
and reach of our newspapers is better
adapted to a growing city than to large
village. The Daily FREE PRESS is coming
to be good deal of a city paper, and If
it gets shaken up now and then so as see
its faults, it will unquestionably get
there.
did not say 1.-The papers wanted to be
paid for everything that was said about
manufacturing" nor ANYTHING in that
| hne. Your reporter and yourself entire
" misunderstood me here. / said l
asked for no favors from a newspaper,
and never would. l don't believe in 1t.
Ii l want myself or my business adver-
tised l won't hang around a newspaper
office to get it free. 1t is business for us
to pay for it. Still a newspaper has no
business to call a manufacturer "parsl-
monious" because he don't see any mon
ey in advertising in local paper, espe-
cially if he has put scores of thousands
or dollars into business that must walt
years to become remunerative, and that
would wait forever if dependent on local
patronage. That manufacturer does his
share when he risks his money IN an en-
terprise to build up town that newspa-
pers can thrive in. 1t is possible, too,
for business man to help newspapers
by job work as well as by advertising,
while it is not possible for a newspaper
to help him but by speaking we'll of his
business. And of course a good round
now and then lnclines the business man
to advertise when he otherwise would not
You give the wrong impression in an
} other matter. said great many of
us subscribed for papers and have our
card in them when we know it will do
us no good. l referred especially to
professional cards in several newspap-
ers for years, and the taking of all or
half the town papers. This was said
because an editor remarked that the
papers would do better if they were
patronized better. But all this is as to
what did not say or mean. My com
plant was that the newspapers do not
make enough of what is of nature to
show Mankato is the very best and big
gest and most promising and the only
place on the continent for anybody
with money or brains to locate in; in
other words that they don't do what
they well can to 'bOom" lin good sense)
Mankato. They don't have to lie about
it, as some papers do, but only to tell
the plain truth about our natural pro-
ductions, our railroad facilities and man
ufacturing enterprises, and the many
more we'll have if we'll "pitch in"
And here is the newspapers duty to
itself and its town, and it should have
breadth to see it, to hold up to the
world the fact of these manufactures
being here, to draw others here as you
put on molasses to draw flies, to make a
big town and give the papers fat bust
ness. This sort of advertising would not
directly help the Fiber-ware, Cement,
Fire Brick or Butter Tub business par
ticle that l know of, but it would help
the town and bring more enterprises
here sure. And if it should incidentally
help some of us, what Of il? Our news
papers don't want to catch the disease
so prevalent here, and baleful in its
effects, fear to do anything or support
any measure ''least somebody else will
make something out of it,"
| heard some lime ago that several of
our editors had visited the Minneapolis
Industrial Exposition and had written
it up, but didn't mention, much less
brag over the only exhibit showing
Mankato an "industrial' town. l said
it was a shame Mankato could not get
credit for what little she was doing.
But / should never mentioned it in pub
lie lest it be thought l considered the
omission personal grievance, had not
Just heard that the Mankato Tile and
Fire Brick business was overlooked In
the same way at the State Fair. The
Standard Fiber-ware Co. is out several
hundred dollars in making an exhibit at
the Exposition, and doubtless it cost the
Tile and Fire Brick Co. quite sum to
exhibits at the State fair. Both spent their
money to advertise their goods, and not
to get "free puffs" in local newspapers.
Any one would suppose local pride
would induce a mention. But local
pride, as such, has no legitimate place IN
local newspaper perhaps, and 1t can't
be blamed for It's lack. But here was q
good opportunity to show Mankato's part
in the Industries of the great Northwest,
making these little exhibits texts for a
big sermon on all of our great manufac-
tories and our great facilities for the
same. always had great admiration
FOR that fly spinning around the wagon
wheel, singing out, "what a dust / kick
up" 1t is just this kind of singing by
the local press, backed by real merit,
that, more than anything else, stimulates
the marvellous growth OF some western
towns. undertook to say our local
press don't "sIng" that way as it ought.
| Compare any of our papers with those
on the great "boOm" line from Duluth to
| Wichita, and see if am not right. III
you editors don't know or realize this,
and my hasty and perhaps foolish "on-
slaught" will help toward a change, l
am glad said what did, even at the
risk of persecution by the newspapers,
a furtive hint of which possibly turks in
your remark that / can gill afford" to
say what l have.
Your reporter is certainly also mistak
ing when he says Mr.. Wise has tender
ed his resignation to the Board because
of what | said, for there has been no
meeting at which he could do so. There
is no reason why he should resign. l
am not that Board, only humble mem
| Der, while he is general officer. l did
not make an Onslaught" on him or any
one else. / censured the public local
press, for what | conceived to be a
neglect of duty TO The city, as | had right
to do in the Board, which exists only to
look sharply after the city's interests
He has the same privilege on any sub
ject. He or you might have done this
in better taste or possibly more effec-
lively, but it is better and more effective
1 A. a A -.